HALLMARK CHANNEL AND HALLMARK MOVIE CHANNEL TO LAUNCH RECORD NUMBER OF ORIGINAL MOVIES, SPECIALS AND THEMED SERIES EPISODES MAKING THE NETWORKS 'THE BIGGEST HOLIDAY DESTINATION IN TELEVISION'

From Halloween 2010 through New Year's Day 2011, Hallmark Channels will count down the holidays with entertainment's best-loved stars and a record number of Hallmark Channel Original Movies, Original Specials, and specially-themed episodes of Original Series.

"With our mission to celebrate life's special moments, Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel are the place for holiday programming that inspires and connects us all emotionally," said Bill Abbott, President & CEO, Crown Media Holdings, Inc.

"Hallmark Channel is the quintessential holiday destination, and I am happy that in 2010, Hallmark Movie Channel will join the effort to make Hallmark Channels 'the biggest holiday destination on television - bigger by far," Mr. Abbott concluded.

Hallmark Channel launched holiday 2010 with "Countdown to Halloween." "Countdown to Thanksgiving" launches on November 1 and beginning Saturday, November 13, Hallmark Channel will feature Christmas movies and specials 24 hours a day in its spectacular "Countdown to Christmas" campaign. During the Hallmark Channel daytime Home block (10 a.m.-3 p.m. ET/PT weekdays), the network will feature specially-themed holiday episodes of "The Martha Stewart Show," and "Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn." And, Hallmark Movie Channel will air Christmas movies as part of the network's "Winter Wonderland" campaign. Joining Original Specials like "Martha Stewart's Holiday Open House," "The Hollywood Christmas Parade," and the cherished "122nd Tournament of Roses Parade," Hallmark Channel will be the marquee site for the World Premiere of 13 Hallmark Channel Original Movies.

Shannen Doherty's "Growing the Big One" led off Hallmark Channel's "Countdown to Halloween" to huge success for the network this past Saturday. Next up, "Movie Night with hoops & yoyo" and the 20th Anniversary of "Edward Scissorhands" - Before and during the Hallmark Channel Premiere of "Edward Scissorhands," the zany, animated pink kitty and green bunny team hoops & yoyo will entertain viewers with running commentary in Hallmark Channel Original Short Content segments, premiering Saturday, October 30 (8 p.m. ET/PT, 7C). Tim Burton's masterpiece "Edward Scissorhands" celebrates its 20th anniversary.

"The Munsters" and "The Addams Family" All-Day Marathon - They're creepy and their kooky (sing along if you know the rest). All day on Halloween, the craziest monster families to ever grace the small screen will keep us all laughing as we prepare for the big day - and night! "The Munsters," a Hallmark Channel Premiere airs 8 a.m. ET/PT, 7C - 6 p.m. ET/PT, 5C. "The Addams Family," a Hallmark Channel Premiere airs 6 p.m. ET/PT, 5C - 3 a.m. ET/PT, 2C.

COUNTDOWN TO THANKSGIVING:

"A Family Thanksgiving" stars Daphne Zuniga and Academy Award(R) Winner Faye Dunaway as a workaholic attorney in New York City (Zuniga) who through the magic of a mysterious muse (Dunaway) gets an opportunity to see what life might have been like had she made other choices. Premieres Saturday, November 6 (9 p.m. ET/PT, 8C).

COUNTDOWN TO CHRISTMAS:

"The Good Witch's Gift," starring Catherine Bell as Cassie Nightingale who discovers it is going to take more than just a little magic to get this good witch down the aisle in "The Good Witch's Gift." This is the third installment of the beloved movie series, "The Good Witch." Hallmark Channel has announced a 4th movie in the series will go into production this November for premiere in 2011. Premieres Saturday, November 13 (8p.m. ET/PT, 7C).

"The Night Before the Night Before Christmas" stars Jennifer Beals and Rick Roberts. When the North Pole's lead Elf accidentally unleashes Christmas a day too soon, Santa's onboard navigation goes berserk, causing Noel's Jolly One to crash land in the middle of Suburbia, leaving him with a bad case of amnesia and Christmas hanging in the balance. Premieres Saturday, November 20 (8 p.m. ET/PT, 7C).

"The Town Christmas Forgot" stars Lauren Holly (NCIS) in a story about a quarrelsome family lost in the town of Nowhere. Through misfortune, each will learn that when helping those less fortunate, they are really helping themselves. The film also stars Rick Roberts ("The Note") alongside newcomers Torri Webster and Lauren Holly's real life son, Azer Greco. Premieres Thursday, November 25 (8 p.m. ET/PT, 7C).

"The Santa Suit," stars Kevin Sorbo ("Hercules: The Legendary Journeys," "Andromeda") as stoic businessman Drake Hunter, who only sees the holidays as a path to making money, but suddenly finds himself on a different path when he is mysteriously transformed from Scrooge to Santa. Premieres Thursday, December 2 (8 p.m. ET/PT, 7C).

"Farewell, Mr. Kringle," stars Christine Taylor ("Zoolander") as cynical scrooge and jaded journalist Ann Wahl who is forced by her editor Zoe (Vivica Fox, "Curb Your Enthusiasm") to travel to a Christmas-themed town to meet a man whose passion for Christmas traditions has transformed a town. By personally witnessing Kris Kringle's commitment to the happiness of others, Ann falls in love (and in love with Christmas) all over again. Premieres Saturday, December 4 (8p.m. ET/PT, 7C).

"Martha Stewart's Holiday Open House," stars America's most famous tastemaker as she demonstrates her big burst of Christmas fun, making crafts with beloved film stars Claire Danes and Jennifer Garner, Sunday, December 5 (9 p.m. ET/PT, 8C).

"The Santa Incident," stars Ione Skye in a holiday fantasy about Homeland Security agents who have unwittingly targeted Santa and his sleigh in the agency's alien interdiction program and are on a mission to shoot down the Jolliest Old Elf in the world. But, don't worry, children. Santa outsmarts the bumbling agents at every turn, proving that he has been saving Christmas for children - and loving it - for centuries. Premieres Tuesday, December 9 (8 p.m. ET/PT, 7C).

"An Old-Fashioned Christmas," stars international film beauty and Emmy(R) and Golden Globe Award nominee Jacqueline Bisset reprising the role of "Isabella Crawford" in the saga began with esteemed American novelist Louisa May Alcott's short story, An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving. The short story was the genesis of the Hallmark Channel Original Movie, "An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving," (OAD 11/22/2008), which won critical acclaim and rating success as the network's highest-rated cable television movie of the week. The chronicle continues as Isabella and her granddaughter Tilly travel to Ireland at Christmastime hoping to find a publisher for budding novelist Tilly's work. Premieres Saturday, December 11 (8 p.m. ET/PT, 7C).

"Three Wise Women," stars internationally renowned actress and Emmy(R) Award winner Fionula Flanagan in the movie with a new twist on ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Flanagan ("Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," "Lost") stars as Liz, who might always wonder what might have been were it not for her guardian angel, Tom, who gives her the rare opportunity to find out exactly how a single choice can change a life. Premieres Tuesday, December 14 (8p.m ET/PT, 7C).

"The Battle of the Bulbs," starring Daniel Stern, ("Home Alone") as Bob Wallace and Matt Frewer, ("Eureka") as Stu Jones in the story about two former best friends whose relationship went sour early in life over a friendly wager. Though decades have passed since the incident, neither man will give up the grudge. Imagine Bob's surprise when he discovers his old nemesis Stu is back in the neighborhood, and is taking him on mano y mano in a competition to win the town's annual Christmas decorating contest. There is no ornament too flimsy, no filament too thin to keep these two warriors from assaulting each other with laser-like illumination and, finally, merrily melting down the town's electrical systems. But when Stu's son falls in love with Bob's daughter, the two men find exceeding abundantly in life is much more important than exceeding the maximum wattage. Premieres Saturday, December 18 (8 p.m. ET/PT, 7C).

Hallmark Channel, owned and operated by Crown Media Holdings, Inc., is a 24-hour basic cable network that provides a diverse slate of high-quality entertainment programming available in high definition (HD) and standard definition (SD) to a national audience of 90 million subscribers. The top tier program service is distributed through more than 5,450 cable systems and communities as well as direct-to-home satellite services across the country. Hallmark Channel is the nation's leading network in providing quality family programming with an ambitious slate of original TV movies, general entertainment and home and lifestyle content. Hallmark Channel's sibling network is Hallmark Movie Channel, also available in HD and SD, which focuses on family-friendly movies with a mix of classic theatrical films, presentations from the acclaimed Hallmark Hall of Fame library, original Hallmark Channel movies and special events.